Nuclear Threats Persist 80 Years After Hiroshima, Nagasaki Attacks

Eighty years after the United States dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, killing tens of thousands instantly and many more from radiation, the threat of nuclear warfare remains a critical global concern. The original bomb, known as 'Little Boy', had an explosive power of about 12.5 kilotons of TNT and paved the way for an arms race that produced far more powerful and compact nuclear weapons. Despite extensive research on the impacts of nuclear explosions and radiation, the United Nations has only recently recommitted to studying the physical and societal consequences of nuclear war, with a report expected in 2026. Nuclear weapons operate through nuclear fission or fusion and are possessed by a few countries, mainly the recognized nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which aims to limit proliferation. Modern nuclear warheads are thousands of times more powerful than those used in World War II, underscoring the persistent and evolving threat they pose. Reflections on Hiroshima continue to resonate, as survivors and descendants grapple with the devastating legacy and the urgent need for empathy and peace.